Angels Without Wings
by Flare Kinokaei
Summary: Augh...I guess this is what happens when you create your won FF7 character and entangle her in Sephiroth's evil web of misery.


Angels Without Wings  
  
Characters  
Tifa LockhartBarmaid  
Cloud StrifeMercanery  
Cid HighwindPilot/Mechanic  
Red XIIIBeast/Experiment  
Flare KinokaeiYoungest Turk  
Barret WallaceAvalanche Leader  
Aeris GainsboroughFlower Girl  
Zack DeRauzerMercanery  
Rufus ShinraRuns Shinra Inc  
Reno MishimaLate-Teenage Turk  
Tseng KinokaeiEldest/Main Turk  
Cait SithRobot/stuffed animal  
Reeve BaltimoreCait's Controller  
Yuffie KisaragiTheif  
Vincent ValentineGun Repair (???)  
Sephiroth KyotosanTop-Ranking Soldier  
Hojo MiijakoMad Scientist  
  
Final Fantasy VII doesn't belong to me, so don't sue. It belongs to Squaresoft and Tetsuya Nomura. Peace.  
|`~*~`|  
Note: Flare Kinokaei (and the last names of Hojo, Sephiroth, Reno, Tseng, Zack, Reeve) comes from MY table, so she's not up for sale. Screw you if you feel like using her in a fanfic, ask me first. Unless I give permission, you know the deal.  
  
Chapter 1: The Request  
The Crystaline Empire was cold and silent, dark and dreary. Tonight was the arriving night for a terrible rainstorm. Despite the drizzles of rain that already scattered from the sky, Flare was still training with Tifa, whom had always been her keeper. "Tifa," Flare finally stopped to ask, "Why are you so protective of me?" It took Tifa a while to answer that one. "Well, I dunno...you've been like a daughter to me since that say we met back at Cederas. And I have a question for you too, Flare...what do you think of...Aeris?" Flare swallowed hard and replied, "You two are good friends, so there's really nothing to say." She continued training, punching through boulders, and twirling her spear skillfully. Tifa stared into a puddle that surrounded her feet and asked herself who she was. She couldn't see her reflection, which worried her deeply. Then she brightened up and asked again, "Ok, then...what do you think of Cloud, I mean, as a father?" Flare abrubtly stopped and walked over to Tifa. "A father? What? Tifa, he's a nice guy, but...what are you talking about?"   
"Well, Flare...you know about Zack's revival and relationship with Aeris. And you know about Cloud and me. Cloud and I were planning on adopting you, since you've been alone for almost a decade--" "ADOPTING ME? What the hell? I have a father alive at Shinra; Tseng Kinokaei of the Turks! He visits me, he helps me, and he's my family!" At Flare's burst, Tifa shrank back. "I just wanted to help." she whispered, before heading out of the recent downpour and into the house. Flare shook her head and sat on the smooth marble wall that stood near her. She let the rain beat down on her shoulders, tears streamed down her face. Her face had a stern and serious look although the outrageous amount of rain and tears that were falling around her, and the sakura blossoms at her feet were being swept away. "Why do I have to be alone? Why won't I let myself love anyone, as family, as friends...why?" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Tifa watched from inside the house, and Aeris grabbed an umbrella. "Hey, come on inside." she suggested, stepping cautiously out into the rain, shielded by an umbrella. "No." Aeris could clearly see that Flare wanted to be alone, so she returned to her place in the house, with Zack. She sat at the piano and played a touching song she called her 'theme'. "Does anyone really care?" Flare asked herself. It took about two hours for her to realize that lightning had been streaking across the sky and thunder was rapidly booming, so she decided to dry out with Tifa and her friends.  
Friends. How great that sounded to her. How professional, and important. Tifa watched Flare track mud and water through the house on the way to her room, and cleaned it up after she left. Aeris was talking with Zack...Cloud was asleep...everyone else was at their own homes.  
In her room, Flare changed into dry clothes and combed the snarls ou of her long, deep-brown hair. Her violet eyes sparkled as she heard a familiar voice downstairs... "Shit, Sephiroth! He didn't tell me he was coming!" she screamed. She took no time to dry her hair, she just raced down and jumped in front of Sephiroth. He greeted Flare with unnatural open arms and a handsome smile, stroking the wetness out of her hair and picking her up so that their eyes were level. "You're just as beautiful as you ever were," he commented, noticing the uncertain look on Tifa's face. He decided to ignore it, and kissed her on the cheek before suddenly making a dramatic leave. Tifa went about her cleaning again. And Flare went back to her room, to cry.  
Tifa made sure no one was watching her, so she put down the vaccuum, and headed up to Flare's room to...check on her. Tifa put her head against the door to listen, but couldn't hear anything. She opened the door a crack and peered inside, to see Flare crying and looking at a picture of Cloud, Tifa, & Flare together. They made a great family, considering that Tseng never had time to be a real father, that he was always on a mission, but Cloud and Tifa were always there to comfort her...always. Tifa gasped aloud as she saw the tears fall from Flare's face onto the picture. Flare really was crying, and Tifa was worried. "Flare, are you ok?" Tifa opened the door and pretended as if she didn't know. She sat next to her friend on the edge of her bed and leaned forward, brushing the hair out of Flare's glistening eyes, and Flare looked up. She sniffled. Cloud entered and placed a loving arm around Flare and Tifa. "Flare, will you let us adopt you now?" he requested. Flare nodded, "You're my family anyway," Tifa smiled and said, "You don't have to call us 'mom' or 'dad' either, since we're not your biological parents. Feel free to call us by name." Flare nodded again. She smiled through her tears. "Thanks," she began. "I never wanted to admit it, because I was so stubborn, but you're the only real familly I've got!"  
Chapter 2: Blurred Memories  
A loud knocking awoke Flare the next day. She sat up in hr bed and straightened her nightshirt before answering the door. "Hello? Who is it?" curiously, she opened the door and was face-to-face with Cid. "Ah!" she fell backwards out of amazement and shock, smacking her back on the floor. "Ugh...Hey, Cid." she greeted, squinting one eye in pain and relief at the same time; she'd thought that maybe the visitor would be someone other than the mechanic who taught her all about the Tiny Bronco. In fact, Cid enjoyed Flare's company most of the time, and he never cursed at her, not once. Amazing, in Red XIII's words. Cid shook his head and let out a hoarse laugh, then extended a friendly hand and helped her up. "C'mon, the Shinra No.26 needs an extra mechanic in the engine room," he reported. He left and walked off in the direction of Rocket Town, which wasn't two far away.  
"The City of the Ancients..." Aeris pondered. She and Flare had barely spent any time together, mostly because Flare thought that Aeris wore too much pink. But Aeris was still interested in getting to know Flare, no matter what. "Flare, I'm heading towards the Northern Continent to visit the Forgotten City. Wanna come? It'll be fun!" "Uh...sure..." Flare managed to say before Aeris rushed her out the door, and into the Tiny Bronco...off they went. At first it was just the two of them, but the rest of Avalanche decided to come along anyway. At the City of the Ancients, everyone looked around before Aeris slipped away from the party. Flare awoke in the middle of the night, sweating and breathing heavily. She pushed her damp hair out of her face and looked out the window of the shell house. Night, pure night. Black sky, stars cascading behind the clouds. Then, from the center pathway, came a voice...a very familiar voice, sweet, and sincere...  
Flare soon arrived in deep in the center of the Forgotten City, where an altar lay in the distance, and Cloud, Tifa, and Cid stood behind her. Cloud rushed up to the altar, and Flare inched towards the steps that led up to it. She held herself back and waited, as she watched Cloud freak out, watched Sephiroth's image appear from the misty capital sky. He got closer, and closer still. Flare inched forward some more, and screeched, "AERIS!!!!!" at the top of her lungs. That was when Aeris looked over her shoulder; Sephiroth down to her. Flare raced forward, reaching one hand out to Aeris as if trying to save her. But Cid latched his arms around her waist before she could get far, and held her down, despite her struggling. Aeris gasped as his masamune met her back and shoved its way through her. She blinked herself out of life and her white materia hit the floor, the second it did, Flare burst into tears. The materia bounced off the altar, as everyone swore they could hear Aeris's theme begin to play as it fell, and as Aeris fell. As she slumped to the floor, dead. Dead.  
Flare pushed Cloud out of the way and skidded to kneel by Aeris's side, letting Tifa pay her respects too. Tifa and Flare weren't sure if it really happened, they wouldn't let themselves believe it. "When a rival is gone, you realize how much she meant to you...." Cid said sadly. Flare and Tifa looked at each other guiltily. They nodded and Flare looked up to see Sephiroth still standing there, his shadow enveloping her. Tifa, Cloud and Cid grabbed Aeris's limp body and pulled out of his way. Flare stayed kneeling, crying, looking up at him. To everyone's surprise, Sephiroth knelt down too. He wrapped Flare in his arms and whispered comforts in her ear, as the two's kneeling position leaned into a totally different one. Sephiroth was laying down on the altar floor, his shoulders and up propped up on the alter rail. Flare lay next to him, sobbing into his cloak, soaking his shirt with salty tears.   
Tifa got defensive, and Cloud unsheathed his Buster Sword, aiming it at Sephiroth's face...his face was lit with a warm look this time, a loving, passionate soul. Cloud couldn't bring himself to do it, since he seemed to comfort Flare so much. Flare wasn't even crying about Aeris anymore, she was crying about Sephiroth. Because she realized that maybe someone cared after all. "Why did you do it?!" Zack demanded. Sephiroth smirked slyly and held Flare tighter, then stood themselves up. "I'm taking the girl. She belongs with me, not insolent bastards such as yourselves." "You're not taking her anywhere!" Cloud and Tifa shouted in unison. Sephiroth shook his head. "Fools." he insulted. He struck them allwith the back of his sword, and returned them to Bone Village quickly. Once returned to the Forgotten City, he shook Flare out of her trance-like expression and informed, "I guess it's just you and me, then, huh?"  
  
Ok, I don't have spell check on my comp. (computer) But I do have a need for reviews... ^_^;; Come on, REVIEW! 


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